Spot removing gun



R. R. WlLKEY sPoT REMOVING GUN April 15, 1952 Filed April 1, 195o NI MW ,wm mw .mm NNW.

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Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED S"l`ll"l`l"S PATENT OFFICE sPo'r REMovING .GUN

Rollie R'. Wilkey, Chicago, Ill. Application April 1, 195o',f seria1Nn.153,329 claims. (onzas-144) spot removing gun for fabric articles or the like. The fabric and clothes cleaning industry have experimented with numerous devices and fluids It has been found that certain spots are removable by rone fluid and still other spots will become permanently "fixed by that same cleaning fluid. Further it is -known thatV cleaning fluids leave rings unless L" the excess fluid is immediately removed by rubbing or other drying means.

It is therefore a principal object of the present vinvention to provide a spot removing device eifective regardless of the type of spot.

An important object of this invention is the provision of means in a spot removing gun forfabrics for spreading in minute quantities moisture particles under pressure to `the area of the spot and simultaneously drying the same area with hot air under pressure.

Another important object of this invention is to supply a combination hot air and moisture dispensing gun for removal of fabric spots.V

A further important object of this invention is'to provide a single opera-ting member fora hot air valve and a moisture valve and incorporating therein a time delay means Ito insure the initial dispensing of the hot air prior to the dispensing of moisture and also to insure continued operation of the hot air after the moisspreadl a ne spray of moisture under pressure tothe area of a fabric containing the spot.

Another. important object of this invention is to supply adual nozzle for a spot removing gun which the Vnozzle openings are longitudinal narrow slots and the hot air nozzle in the bottom is arranged to spread the offset and side dispensing moisture.

Other and further importanti,objectsoffthis invention will become apparent from the dis .closures .in the following specification and .accompanying drawing. l

`In thev drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational 'view'of a spot removing .gun of thisinvention.

*Figure 2 is a partial view of the rearside of the gun ofFigure 1. f

Vigurel is a partial top plan view of thegun Egurei is a sectionalview taken along 1the This invention relates to a new and limproved I source of hot air under pressure I2. i air under pressure is preferably supplied through Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-1-5 of Figure 3.

Figure is a sectional view taken on the line G-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a view of theunderside of the nozzle of the gun as shown in Figure 1 and'viewed along the line l'I--'I of Figure 1.'

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of a modified spot'removing gun with portions thereof l:broken away.

Figure 9 is atop plan view of the gun of Figure 8.

Figure l0 is va side elevational view of astill further modified -form offspot'removing'gun and having portions thereof broken away, Y

Figure ll is an end elevational Aview of the gun of Figure l0 as viewed along the line II'-II of Figure l0.

As shown in the drawings:l

The reference numeral I il indicates generally a spot removing gun for use on clothi-ngor fabrics or the like. The gun IB has a handle II and a The hot a flexible tubing so that the gun maybe portable. The gun II) also contains a source Vofrnoisture under :pressure I3 wherein there is shown a fitting for a rubber ho'se or other flexible hose attachment. The moisturev under pressure entering through `the fitting, I3 passes forwardly .to the nozzle through a tubular passage designatedby the numeral I3a.

sage Maand a lower `tubular passage-` IlIb.

.As shown inFigure 1 the nozzle' part of the gun includes :several'tubular members. The cen- Y tergof these-nozzle tubes designated :by'theynumoral Ip'isyfor the; *discharge of .a stream of hot air'ffrom thasupplv passage Mb. This discharge tube I5 includes an arcuately .Shaped sloticonstituting a nozzle I5. The nozzle slotilis vlorcated in thev under side ofthe tube I5 iustshort of -the* outerv end o f `the closedoutergend r of Vthe The lower of the several nozzle tubes is designatedby'the numeral I'I' and isfor thefpui posefof discharging moisture underpressurefrom the supply tube I3a. As discussed in this applie cation it lshould be understood thattheinoisture `maybe either-waterfin its regular Vform or Steam. 'In thetube I'I thefnozzle is shown .at I3 ,and isin .th'eouter endof the tube inaxial alignment therewith so that 'the moisture under pressure is delivered .axially'out of the tube. An examina tion of the drawings shows that the arcuate shaped ynot is is disposed immeuiateiyabovand justslightlyoutwardly of the end ofthe nozzle "I8 in rthetubelfh. So, that the air under pressure disohargigfthrough the arcuate slot fiifrom gun I9.

the tube I5 will depend and impinge downwardly onto the moisture under pressure being discharged through the nozzle I8 and the flow of moisture under pressure will be deflected downwardly by the hot air under pressure so that the moisture under pressure is spread in a fan shape and reduced to very fine particles as it is directed to a spot on a fabric.

As further shown in Figure 1 the top nozzle tube I9 is a continuation of the hot'air passage .|4a and has its outer end turned downwardly as shown at forming a nozzle wherein the hot pressure through the arcuate or fan shaped noz-` zle I6. However, the actuation of the valve stem to cause rocking of the ball valve 23 is delayed for an amount of time equal to the depth of the depression 28. As soon as the movement of the button 26 has progressed to a point where the Y innermost point of the depression contacts the air under pressure is directed downwardly in the.

same manner as the hot air and moisture from the tubes I5 and II. However, the nozzle29 of the tube I9 is spaced outwardly beyond the end of the discharge of the tubes I5 and I'I and does not coact immediately with either of these from the nozzle 2D is primarily for the purpose of effecting a drying of the fabric area where the spot has been previously removed bythe hot air and moisture under pressure. .Asbest shown in Figure 7 there is shown the underside of thel three-pronged nozzle of the gun as shown in Figure 1. The relative discharging positions of the nozzles i6, IS and 29 is adequately shown,

- and the ,enlarged arcuate slot I6 is directly above streams. The hot air under pressure discharging the discharge of the nozzle I8 to effect la spreading of and a downward deecting of the moisture fromthetubeI'I. l

As best shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive a valve housing 2| is disposed intermediate the handle nected to the hot air and moisture under pressure coming from the sources |2 and I3. In other;

words, there is provided a valve meansintermediate the tubular passages |4a and I9, and |41) and I5, and |3a land I'I. Each of these valve meansis positioned within the valve housing 2| that an operator of the spot removing gun may selectively discharge hot air and/or moisture at his pleasure.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 a ball 'valve'22 and is provided with separate control means so g controls the passage of hot air under pressure l from the tube .Ilib to the tube I5, which as previously stated forms a part of the nozzle off the A ball valve 23 similarly performs the function of controlling the passage of moisture under pressure from the tube I3a to the tube I1. -A valve stem or rod 24 is mounted for lateral Y sliding movement in the valve housing 2| and is for the purpose of rocking the ball valve 22 from its valve seat to cause an opening between the passages |42) and I5. Similarly a valve stem or rod 25 is mounted in the valve housing 2| for lateral sliding movement to rock the ball valve 23 to open the passage between the moisture tubes cause -a rocking of the ball 22 from its valve seat and thus a simultaneous opening of the air under outer end of the stem 25, thereafter continued inward movement will cause a rocking of the ball valve 23 to permit discharge of moisture through the nozzle I8. The purpose of delaying action of the moisture valve is two-fold. First, the delay permits the air under pressure to get a good start and whenfthe moisture is dispensed -it insures that the moisture will be immediately directed to the spot area. Second, the delay permits a final cleanout by suction of the tube II after the moisture ball valve 23 is back in its seated position. It will of course be realized that in addition to the air commencing operation be- .fore the moisture the air Will contine to be discharged to a period of time subsequent to the stopping of operation of the moisture discharge and thus las the hot air under pressure being discharged from the fan shaped nozzle I6 it pulls withy it any remaining moisture that may be lodged in the tube I'I from the valve housing 2| to the nozzle I3. This, of course, insures a clean moisture tube when the gun is again put into use.

As best shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 a third ball valve 29 is employed in the valve housing 2| for the purpose of controlling the ow of hot air under pressure from the tube |40, to the discharge nozzle tube I9. A valve stem 30, similar to the valve stems 24 and 25, is arranged and constructed to rock the ball 29 from its valve seat. An integral operating button 3| is shown xed to the outer end of the stem 39. As shown in Figure 5 there is a longitudinal passage of relatively small diameter designated by the numeral 32 within the valve housing 2| for joining the tubes Ida and I9 which threadedly engage the block of the valve housing 2 I. A lateral or transverse passage 33 of somewhat larger diameter is shown as crossing the valve housing 2| and intersecting the passage 32. A restricted shoulder. at 34 is located within the lateral passage 33. A seat 35 formed for the ball valve 29 at the intersection of the passages 32 and 33 is disposed within the longitudinally extending passage 32. A spring 36 is adapted to urge the ball 29 back toward a valve seat 35 after the ball has been rocked from its seat by the stem 39. As will be evident the hot air under pressure normally holds the ball on the seat 35 in the same manner as a check valve. A screw plug 3'I holds the spring 36 in engaging position with the ball valve 429. vO-n the other side of the ball 29 a stem packing 33 surrounds the stem or rod 39 and a packing bushing 39 threadedly engaged with the housing 2| holds the packing snugly in engagement with the operating rod or stem and prevents passage of iiuid laterally outwardly from the valve housing 2|. As shown, the packing 38 rests on the shoulder 34 on its one side and is maintained in such position by the abutting engagement of the packing bushing 39.

Similarly to the operation of the valve means for the control of the passage of uid from the tube la to the tube I9 the other ball valves 22 and 23 have similar control means. As shown in Figure 4 a spring 40 holds the ball-valve 22 in normal seat engaging position and a plug 4I, screwed into the housing 2|, holds the spring in 'operating position.` A packing-42 'surrounds-.the

valve stem or rod 24 and a bushing 43- maintains k the packing in and around the 'stem-2ly by'reason of a bushing e3. Similarly a spring 44' `is adapted to hol'dthe ball 23 in seatfengaging position 'and the spring 411 is held-inposition'by screw-phig 45 similar to the plugs 3l and =M: Alpacking 46 vis 'disposed about the valve-*s'temfformod 25 and avbushing 47 holds the'pa-cking.:iin Steinengaging position. I

In operation the gun l0 held inan operatoiis hand and Aplaced `lso that the `discharging portions of the nozzle as shown inFiguresfl Iand '7 ,will be directed downwardly -onto fa spot-on` a piece of cloth or fabric. 'Themoisture-eithen in the form of steam or water-fis-dispensedrom the tube Il and is sprayed ontothe spot ar-canin finely divided vparticles V'under'"extremelythigh pressures by reason of the pressurefwithln-the moisture itself :and also that pressure obtained thisactuator button 26. In other words the air maybe dispensed through the fan-shaped nozzle vI6 without the passage of any moisture through stantially at the outermost end.

from the hot air under pressure discharging lfifom f the nozzle It. The operator aims-fthe Anozzle discharge means at the 4'spot area and-then `ie'1`iresses the operating button 2t which. immediately v causes a lateral shifting movement 'of= the retenir 24 and -a rocking lof ftheball .-22 --from .i'tsnseat in the longitudinal passage :in-'the valve housing 121. As `the ball 22 is rockedirom itsseatrifhot air under pressure is permitted -`passage through .A

f the valve housing `2I1so 'tli'atiit immediately discharges through the "fan shaped nozzle :fl 6 and is directed to the spot area.-' Continued .and further depression of 'the operating-buttonfafby the operator eventually causesualateralhlshiting movement of the `valve 'stem'25 'anda .rockying of the ball .23 `from `its valve-.iseatlin the i longitudinal passage inthe valve housii'igkiiti.,r The rocking 'of this ball valve `2'3 opens the passage from the tub-e lscito the tube l'l` 'and thusfpermits the discharge .of moisturexun'der-'pressure from the nozzle end Hl.4 It is #this 'combination `of elements namely 'the moisture-under pressure 'and the hot air under pressure :and :the spread- .ing :fof the moisture into nelydivided particles .by the hot air over they spot areaathatfcauses me moval of 4'spots in. garments or other `fabric-.s,.zor the like. This procedure is continued andifthe valve button 261continues to be depressed until the spot is entirely removed whereupon the operator relieves vhis manualexertion on the buttonl` 26 .thus initiallycausing e 'Stopping .ofr 'thefiiow of moisture under pressure -and rii-nally` `unstopping of the flow of hot air under pressure. Thereafter, theA operator deprcsses the button 3| which causes 'a lateral movement'of the valve stemt() i155 anda rocking of .the .ball fvalve!!! to permit-ldischarge .of hot airunder pressure from :the nozzle '250i the tube l5.` The impingin'g of th hot-air under pressure from the. nozzlezl'll onto-'the sur- 'face of the fabric whichhas just had la pet-"removed with .a combination. ofzmoi'sture'and :fait is for the purposeof eiecting -a quick drying of that area to 'insure the absence of rings or moisture spots which could and 'would-result if 'fthe area werenot -to be dried immediately. With the aid of` this -auxiliary `het air 2'under pressure the absence of rings is a certainty. It should of Y course be understood that the nozzle and the tube I9 are merely auxiliary to the normal operation of the gun and that the operator, after he becomes adept at controlling the singleractuator button 26 may accomplish the same result of directing solely hot air under pressure to the spot area after the spot has been removed mere- Vly by controlling the amount oi depression of the nozzle I8 by holding the valve button 2S so that the ball -22 is rocked from its seat, but in such a position that the stem 25 is not moved and the ball l23 remains seated.

As best shown in Figures 8 and 9 the modified valve housing 48 is provided witha tube i9 carrying hot air under pressure and a tube 5t `carrying moisture under pressure to the nozzle ends thereof; The tube `49 is provided with a longitudinally extending-slot 5| in the bottom thereof and subrIhe tube v,49 is aclosed vend tube and thus the hot under pressure is discharged through the longitudinally extending slot 5l. Similarly the tube 5U isa closed end tube and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 52 in the inner side of the tube thus constituting a nozzle which would discharge lmoisture or steam under pressure to one 'side'thereo The outer end ofthe tube 49 is designated by the numeral 53 and similarly the outer end of theV tube 59 is designated as 54. The :outer ends 53 and 5d are oiset as shown .in Fig- Aure` 'v9 so that. the air stream coming fromthe longitudinally extending bottom slot 5l can spread the moisture dispensed from the side discharging slot 52 and direct that moisture downwardly toe ward a spot on a fabric or the like. A single valve operator'button` 55, comparable to the button 25, is'- adapted to cause depression of a valve stem 58 for the air tube t9V anda valve stem 5l for the moisture tube 50. A depression 58 in the under iside' of -the button 55 is for the purpose of pro-A 'vidinga lostmotion operation on the stern 51.

Actuation of the moisture valve is thus delayed until suchtime as the air under pressure is initially discharged from the longitudinallyextending bottom slot Elin the tube 9 in the same manner as the delay oi the operation of the moisture from the nozzle I8. A gun handle 59 is shown for the device of Figures 8 and 9. The handle 59 is gripped by the operator in a manner similar to vthe gripping of the handle Il inthe gun,t of Fig- -ure Vl and the operator may manually control operationof the valve button'- 55 in any manner he so desires `to effect either the discharge of hot air under 'pressure alone or a combination of the hot air and moisture. The spot removing gun' as 'shown in Figures'S and 9 thus operates'in the same manner as the gun of Figure 1 to effect re- 'movalof spots.

A `further modied gun is shown at 66 in `Fig- -u'res I0 and `11. iA handle 6i is provided forholding fof the gunl and a valve housing 62 is disposed midway between the handle t@ and the discharge .nozzle tubes. A supply of hot air under pressure enters the valve housing 2 through a tube 63, a `supply 'of steam under pressure enters the valve V.housing 62 through the tube 5d, and a supply of water Aunderpressure 'enters the valve housing 62 fromthe tube 65. Onthe other side of the valve housing a 4downwardly curved air nozzle 66 is provided` on thetopthereof and centrally cf the atea-,oso

the gun handle 6 i. 1n this modified form of spot removing gun the operator may at his election discharge hot air, steam, and water all together or individually as desired. In some instances it is desired to impinge a stream of steam onto the spot area for the purpose of effecting the removal of a spot, whereas in other instances it might be desired .to impinge a nely divided stream of cold water under pressure to the spot area and further it might be desired to propel a combination of hot air, steam and water to the spot area. In any event, the operator may discharge the desired elements to the spot area and after the spot is removed the air under pressure is preferably applied to the area to effect a quick and thorough drying of the steam or moisture which may have been deposited onto the fabric in effecting the removal of the spot.

It will be understood from the foregoing specication that the spot removing guns of Figures 1, 8 and 10 are operative to effect removal. of spots from clothing or lfabrics and are all easily manually operable by an operator holding the gun in his hand and controlling the valves for the several elements by his fingers. Removal of fabric spots requires an impinging of nely divided particles of moisture or steam under pressure to the spot area whether the spot be grease or dirt or I.other foreign substance. Thus the operator may first try a plain water and then attempt a removal of the spot by steam or a combination of hot air and steam or hot air and water, or all three,.hot air, steam and water.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range with-k v air under pressure through said hot air discharge nozzle.' a source of moisture under pressure, a

discharge nozzle for said moisture under pressure, valve means for controlling the discharge cf said moisture under pressure through said moisture discharge nozzle, said hot air nozzle positioned above the moisture nozzle and arranged and constructed to spread the moisture as it is discharged, a single operating mechanism associated with both the air and moisture valves and said operating mechanism arranged and constructed to initially open the air valve and to initially close the moisture valve.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the valve operating mechanism includes a valve actuating stem for each of said air and moisture valves and disposed in side by side parallel relation, and a manually operable push button attached to the stem of said air valve, said button having a depression in the underside at the position of engagement by the moisture valve stem, whereby when the button is manually moved the button depression supplies a lost mo- .delay operation of the moissecond source of hot air under pressure is pro-f vided, a nozzle for said second source of hot air under pressure located adjacent said first two nozzles, and a valve means for said second source of hot air underpressure, whereby the hot air may be discharged separately from said combination air and moisture to effect drying of the fabric having aspot removed.

4;. -A spot removing gun for fabrics comprising a source of hot air under pressure, a discharge nozzle for said hot airunder pressure, valve means for controlling the discharge of said hot air under pressure through said hot air discharge nozzle, a source of moisture under pressure, a

.discharge nozzle for said moisture under pressure, vvalve meansfor controlling the discharge of said moisture under pressure through said moisture discharge nozzle, said hot air nozzle -positioned above .the moisture nozzle and arranged and constructed to spread the moisture as it is discharged, said hot air nozzle comprising a closed ended tube having an arcuate slot spaced from the end thereof and the moisture nozzle comprising a tube having an open end.

5. 'A spot removing gun for fabrics comprising a sourceiof hot air under pressure, a discharge nozzle for said hot air under pressure, valve 'means for controlling the discharge of said hot air under pressure through said hot air discharge nozzle, a source of moisture under pressure, a discharge nozzle for said moisture under pressure, valve means for controlling the discharge of said moisture under 'pressure through said moisture discharge nozzle, said hot air nozzle vpositioned above the moisture nozzle and arranged andvconstructed to spread the moisture as it is discharged, said air nozzle comprising a closed ended tube having an elongated slot in the. bottom spaced from the end thereof, and the -moisture'nozzle comprising a tube oiset from lvertical alignment with the air nozzle tube and having` an elongated slot in the side thereof toward a plane depending vertically from the air ROLLIE R. W'ILKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 773,714 Coster Nov. 1, 1904 1,490,510 Gooley Apr. 15, 1924 1,595,397 Hilgerink Aug. 10, 1926 1,613,795 Herold Jan. 11, 1927 2,098,454 Kelley Nov. 9, 1937 2,156,783 Hovey May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS .--Number Country Date I 166,621 Great Britain July 5, 1921 'I 286,121 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1928 

